How are the people?

Hi all!
I've been reading this forum for about two days digging for information regarding Madrid. I will stay there between 4 and 13 November, I don't know where yet. I think this kind of communication is amazing, especially the MadridMan general invitiation to his party.
Happy Birthday, MadridMan. I regret that I couldn't come to your party, unfortunately I will be in Madrid one month after it.
Anyway, in 1998 I travelled in France (Paris and Toulon) for my holiday and, although I stayed at a friend's of my husband's grandmother I couldn't make any friends, I couldn't even have some conversations with the people. And her nephew with some of his friends were guests there too. Well, on short I found the French people very cold and self centered, proud in a negative way (I don't know the word for it, sorry) and so I greatly missed my friends from home.

Do you think we can made some new friends in such a short time? Maybe if we are staying at a hostal or so? Are the Spanish warm and sociable? or depends on my luck?

I read so many beautiful things about this country and people that I cannot wait to visit Madrid!

Thanks all of you!

I would definitely keep in mind a description of the things I will see post it here.

madridman had a birthday?

Leche

Xena, I think you're in for a pleasant surprise! Spain, no matter where you seem to go, is replete with wonderful people. I've traveled and lived extensively in the northern areas, also in Madrid, and the people there have been nothing short of fantastic to me. I don't know the south from experience too well, but everyone in Spain tells me that the andaluces are the friendliest, so I'm sure things are great there too. Bottom line: Spain is not France.

The French and the Spanish are different. However, just like every country, I think thaat you will find rude people everywhere. For me it seemed as if many of the nicer people were further away from the busy parts of the city. I know that the people in some of the small towns surrounding Madrid seemed a lot more friendly to me. I guess there's a lot less stress and they're not in a hurry, so they seem to be more relaxed and friendly.
I'm sure you'll find many nice folks in Madrid. Have fun.

Hi Xena! Welcome to the group!!!!

The party in Madrid was just a general invitation for anyone who wanted to get together, but it wasn't my birthday - that's in December (Please, no cash should be sent. Just money orders, cashiers checks, Spanish coffee, olives, anything from Tienda.com , postcards from Madrid, and...umm... Hmmm.. Guess I should start a list. hehehehe).

But seriously folks, the Spanish are a mixed bag. Many/Most are warm and friendly and ALL are socialable/sociable (hmmm.. which is it??) ESPECIALLY AFTER you get to know them.

Here are a few links to threads in this forum that I think you'll find interesting:
http://www.madridman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/000024.html http://www.madridman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/000010.html http://www.madridman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/000040.html http://www.madridman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/000025.html http://www.madridman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/000064.html

....and THESE are only a few of them!!! MOST of the people registered here on the message board are great lovers of Spain and Spaniards (and some are even lovers WITH Spaniards --.. WHAT?! Did *I* say that??!! hehehe).

Saludos, MadridMan

I don't know why I said "birthday". Sorry. Perhaps I was a little dizzy after I studied for so long this site hihi
I will definitely tell you my impressions about Spain and Spaniards (or Spanish people?) after my visit.
You made me so curious!!!

Over the years, I have found that invariably when I was travelling solo, people would be much more likely to offer to help or to just be friendly. People all over (in France, too) are much less likely to approach two or more people speaking a different language from theirs. It's a 'shell' you create when you travel as a group: I think you will find it similar in Spain (to France, that is). Have you considered that the people might be just being polite, not 'cold,' as you perceive them?

Well, Eddie, you see, when people from other countries come to ours, I want to know what are the habits, how is their usual life from where they come. So we speak about the differences between our ideas and I and my conationals are enjoying that very much. If I can I go with them in the mountains or at the seaside and I try to make them feel nice. For example two American friends came to me a few years ago and they spoke half a night with some policemen who were patrolling (I don't know if this is the correct word) and drank beer and had fun. And I gave a party for them. Here if you have the chance to meet foreigners you want to know how they think and what they want.

In France they didn't even speak with us. And if they spoke it was polite, yes, but they wanted to get rid of us sooner the better although we stayed in the same house and were almost the same age. They weren't intersted in us, they didn't want to learn anything about my country and I met like 50-70 people or so, friends of the lady who was our hostess and who was the only exception. It's true that she has friends in many parts of the world, but her guests and grandchildren were as I said: cold. I don't think that they spoke with us more than half an our in ten days, even at lunch or dinner. They didn't want to stay on the beach near us or at the same table in the pub (they were like 10 or fifteen people) and I'm a very sociable person, I have a lot of friends and I always made new ones and I surely know how to have fun.
Perhaps there are many French people who are different but me and a lot of other friends of mine don't have a nice opinion af them, they look at you like "hey, I'm French, so I must be smarter and superior to you, so I don't care what you think". Well, I'm sorry if I exagerate a little, this is a site about Spain, not France and I heard only beautiful words about Spaniards and I cannot wait to get there and see these great places and nice people.

Spain and France share a border and that's about all. They're worlds apart - though I've been told that the Catalans are a bit "French-like", but that may be due to their apparent desire to be distinct from the rest of Spain! Anyhow Xena, I found it impossible to imagine any Spanish people behaving like the French you describe.

i think the spanish are wonderful people, and i have never even been to the south!!! all of my adventures have been in Catalunya and Euskadi, with a jaunt or two into the hills of aragon. they are all so friendly when you get to know them. but i agree with the person who said they might be reluctant to approach or engage when they know you speak english or are with people who speak another language.
probably just a natural human reaction.

i did find that older people were less than impressed with me and my british friends when i was in spain (though im from texas). i guess this could be just old people though.

an attempt to speak spanish with people will be most rewarded...and attempt to speak catalan with catalans will get you a free drink or two. an attempt to speak basque with basques will probably get you anything you ask for!! hahah!

show interest in their local culture and history. it will be most appreciated.

by the way, xena, what country are you from?
brian

I am from Romania. Romanian is a Latin language so I understand Spanish pretty well, although I can't speak it. I will try to read some books and learn some minimal Spanish untill I would go to Madrid (a week or so) but I think that wouldn't be enough. Anyway I am always intersted in other people culture and ideas.
Well, Romania is a very hospitable country. It's also true that foreigners are regarded as a kind of superior cause they are usually richer than my conationals, so perhaps this is the reason for which they are so kind and eager to talk with them.
Anyway, I want to go to Madrid and Toledo, perhaps Segovia, we didn't decide it yet. And I will definetely go to the Spanish coast in the summer if I would like this trip to Madrid.

Haven't been to Spain yet, however, we recently hosted a Spanish student.
This young lady was sweet and fun; and was a
complete joy to have live in our home.
My daughter who is studing Spainish is school has wanted to go to Spain. SO this
winter we will be on a short visit 2 1/2 weeks to Spain. THis exchange student and her
frineds( there were 18 of them in our area we
found delightful and about 4 of them were constatly with us. We did this not expecting anything. Her parents have invited our daughter to spend the summer with them.
One of the other students parents have asked us to visit them in Cadiz and will bring us to Flamenco and show us the areas. I find them warm and open hearted, and we can not
wait till we arrive in Spain. In fact, they
are most helpful in helping us find areas where we would like. I am sure you will have
no problem.
We have traveled to many countries, do not
speak a foreign language, and never once had
a problem. It all depends on you and your
personality. Have a good time.

hi there,

well you should definitely go to spain if you have the chance! but about the language thing, i have traveled to lots of countries too and rarely knowing the language. you CAN get by in big cities and in northern european countries or among young people of any country you can find english speakers...

BUT spain was closed in many ways during the Franco period and most still do not speak English.

and I cannot tell you how much i had to struggle with the language when i ventured away from tourist areas even in Barcelona and certainly in the basque country.

so you can get by with gestures and a few universally known english words. i mean, of course it can be done. but to go out and experience spain outside the tourist traps you will need to at least be able to read some spanish.

i guess for those just going for a vacation its not such a big deal...but if you have a passion for a country (like lots of us here do) it's high on our minds.

have fun on your trip to see the exchange student! you might just come back with a new passion too!

brian

Have only just seen this thread. I agree that having more than minimum language is better. I was in Spain in October by myself and found my lack of conversational skill a bit wearing after a while. I could speak okay (well, I got a few strange looks!), but understanding what was said to me was another story. So, I was sort of embarrassed. I won't go again alone without doing a course to learn more. Really, most of the Spanish people don't speak much English, not that we should expect them to. So, if you're travelling alone & want to meet and speak with the locals, I'd recommend learning more than the minimum. In reply to Xena's comments on France, I had no problem with anyone in France, including the city people. My French is a little better than my Spanish, but still so-so. Maybe some foreign people come on a bit strong for them! They are very proud of their culture and country, and resist "watering down" from outside influences, and this is a good thing! Vive la difference!

I really enjoyed the Spaniards that I got to converse with. It is obviously too small a number to be a significant sample, but I enjoyed Galicians the most. They were warm and very open. As for the language, you can probably get by without any or very little, but the more you can speak the greater the opportunities.

Hello Xena,

This is an e-mail I received from my daughter who is doing a semester in Madrid.

"Last weekend I went to a friend's house in the mountains, and though they
all lived in pretty modern suburban houses there, I was quite surprised
and totally impressed when my friend's mom made paella (typical Spanish
rice dish) in the fireplace, with actual fire. How often do you see that???
They had two fireplaces, one upstairs in the living room, and one in the
basement for cooking. It was this great mix of the old/traditional world
and the modern technological world that we live in. In the same house
where there was a tv, computer, etc, they were cooking in the fire. Pretty
cool, huh? And the food was really good! (nice change from the bland meals
I get in my house here)."

I will be visiting my daughter next month and with her e-mail, I am looking forward to see Spain.

I have just returned from Madrid.
Well, I must say that I love all about this country AND the people. I didn't speak much Spanish, just a few words, but because I'm from a Latin country I understood like half of it. But all the people were so hospitable and kind! They always spoke with us in pubs or on tthe streets and, even if we didn't reply in a fluent Spanish they were so joyful and eager to exchange impressions about different things. As I said I understood a lot of Spanish, but one week of intensive learning was not enough for me to speak it.

Anyway, all of barmen or taxi drivers or just passers by were very, very nice and warm. They spoke with each other all the time about all kind of subjects even if they didn't know each other and it just happened to stay in the same place (i.e. at the bar in pubs, in park on adiacent seats or so).
I really love them.
And I will definitely learn Spanish before going to Barcelona next summer.

Xena,

With your comments on your recent Spain experience is making me very excited to visit Spain next month.

I guess Spain has magic that wants you to come back again and again!. My daughter definitely is loving Spain and may want to return this time in Barcelona. She found the people as you described open to learn from other folks.

I totally agree with you. Spain has a kind of magic and you can become addicted like on drugs or caffeine!!! So watch out before you go there you will be dropping in their fishing nets with which they catch their so great seafood

Xena - I'm very glad to see you found the Spanish are not xena-phobic (hehe )

Boqueron. that was just bad

well, it made me laugh, I have a lot of faults, but fortunately I have a great taste for humour;
in fact one of my favorite dishes (it's very cheap in my country, like o.5$, but expensive in Spain 6-7$) is boquerones fritos...

Nicole, I don't think so. I found it funny.

[This message has been edited by francisco (edited 11-16-2000).]

I thought it was funny too. It is just an expression we use to say something is a silly (but funny) joke.

Nicole was right, it was very bad! I'd been waiting for someone else to post it, but it looks like other people have a sense of shame! But thank you all for the kind words